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Quick question before we dive in: when was the last time you woke up on a Saturday morning with nothing planned? No chores, no errands, no “I’ll just catch up on a few emails.”
Yeah. Me neither. I don’t do that. And when Coach Robin Fuller asked our Webinar Wednesday crowd that very question this month, I knew this hour was going to be about more than succession planning.
Beth is a pastor turned filmmaker, and her movie, Conceivable, is based on something that actually happened to her — a surprise pregnancy in her 40s, right when she thought that chapter of life was closed.
We actually met Beth over a year ago and had her on a webinar at that time, so when we heard about the film’s upcoming release, we jumped on it and invited her back.
Robin shared a number that surprised me: up to 90% of ministry leaders don’t finish well. She asked herself, “How can I be part of the 10%?” and her book is the answer she wishes she’d had.
And the best part? It’s never too early to start. One of Robin’s clients began succession planning on her very first day on the job. She planned to stay at least ten years, but she wanted to begin with the end in mind. (Overachiever? Maybe. Wise? Absolutely.)
One of Robin’s first steps is easy to start: open a document and write down everything you actually do, not just what’s in your job description. Robin’s list hit 18 pages before she realized how much she didn’t need to be doing.
I did this exercise too, and wow. I had no idea how many “jobs” I had, or how many directions I was being pulled. I think most of us don’t notice what we’ve slowly taken on. The water gets a little deeper each time, and one day you look down and realize you’re treading water.
Seeing it all on paper made a big difference. Now we can name what I’m doing and start handing off responsibilities. And here at iRapture, we’ve added two dedicated account managers, Taylor and Jeremiah, who have taken a LOT off my plate. (Taylor and Jeremiah, thank you!)
Hire slow, fire fast
Vet people carefully. Look for folks who are strong spiritually, humble, teachable, and called by the Lord, not just following the leader.
Build a board that shows up
Three meetings before a vote. Clear expectations: committees, events, and personal giving. Bonus: add a young woman the age of your clients.
Take a real sabbatical
Eight to twelve weeks, fully unplugged. (Three weeks is a vacation, friends.) Your team learns they can thrive, and you get room to hear from the Lord.
Count your real work hours
Robin thought she worked 40. Then came the grocery-store donor, the after-church work chat, the laptop on the couch, the 2 a.m. replay. Real number? Closer to 70.
"God doesn't need us to save a life. He will use us, but He needs us rested and healthy more than He needs us available 24/7."
— Robin Fuller
I’m a client of Robin’s, and I love the work we do together. She has walked with me through some truly stressful seasons.
Honestly, my default setting is “I’ll just do it myself.” Robin has helped me ask for help, slow down long enough to evaluate where my time should go, and let go of things I needed to relinquish control of. I’m still figuring it out, but I have so much more focus than I did, and she’s helping me through every step.
Case in point: not long ago, a client needed a landing page (really, a mini website) up in two days. Nobody had the bandwidth, so guess who pulled an all-nighter and just did it? The next day, he let us know the promo had been pushed back, so it wasn’t needed yet after all. We regrouped to talk big picture, and I had to admit I’m not a web builder. I can build one, but I’m not one. And yet there I was, holding on tight to that project simply because I started it.
So now I’m asking a better question: what’s best for the client? Me struggling along, or passing it to someone with the time and energy to give it their full focus? I’ll be able to laugh about the all-nighter someday. Someday soon. Probably.
I’m hard on myself. I expect too much, I work too much, and I feel responsible for every single job to an unhealthy degree. And it’s not what others put on me. It’s what I put on myself. So for me, boundaries aren’t about other people. They’re boundaries for me: taking breaks, protecting my time, and not feeling guilty about it.
Robin constantly reminds me that if I can’t take care of myself, I can’t be free to do my job at my best. And one of my favorite questions she asks is simple:
What would Jesus want me to be doing?
That question helps me sort out what matters every time. It reminds me this work belongs to Him, not me. As Robin pointed out, when things got busiest in Jesus’ ministry, He withdrew to rest. That’s the example I want to follow.
Grab the book. Finish Well walks through 12 practical steps for preparing yourself, your team, and your board for a healthy handoff. You don’t have to read it front to back; the book page has a succession planning quiz to help you find your starting chapter. The best way to buy it right now is at book.robinfuller.coach, where you’ll get the beautiful hardcover at a great price with free shipping and sales tax included. Paperback and Kindle are coming in November. Robin’s tip: get one for yourself, then hand one to your board chair.
Explore Robin’s coaching. If you’re tired, overwhelmed, or just need someone outside your ministry to ask the hard questions, check out her website and reach out to [email protected] to ask about her coaching availability. I’d recommend her to anyone.
Come back next month! Webinar Wednesday happens the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 PT. On November 4, we’re welcoming Liam Siegler, a writer, journalist, and aspiring filmmaker who serves as Research and Education Specialist for the Vitae Foundation. Liam helps conduct Vitae’s Emotional Research projects and share that research publicly, and his writing has appeared in National Review, The Dispatch, Human Life Review, and The Lion. You won’t want to miss it! Missed Robin’s session? Watch for our follow-up email with the recording and links.
Go find a pocket of real rest this month.
We love serving pregnancy centers and nonprofit leaders, and we’re cheering you on.
Blessings,
Sandy
